Worldly Tales
by Soshite
Summary: Little ficlets spread throughout the worlds of Kingdom Hearts centering around Aqua and the people she knows and meets. Mainly TerraxAqua.
1. Mirror Mirror: Terra x Aqua

**Disclaimer:** Do not own. Just writing for fun!

- - **Kingdom Hearts** - -

Well, what do we have here? A magic mirror that could only speak the truth?

Aqua stared at the mask-like face that floated within the enchanted glass, watched as he - she assumed the mirror was male (if objects were capable of possessing genders), because his voice sounded male enough - glowed an eerie green before her. She had already asked him where Terra was and how she could find him - with a rather awkward rhyming scheme to boot, but the mirror had replied he had left for parts unknown. She knew finding her friend would be no easy task. It didn't hurt to ask, though.

And now there wasn't much left to do, except leave the Dwarf Woodlands in search of Terra (and Ven), but the young woman's curiosity kept her rooted to the spot. Here was an all-seeing mirror that could answer whatever question that could possibly come to mind. On a whim, Aqua decided that a few more questions wouldn't hurt anyone. But what to ask him? Well, certainly going with the 'norm' would be worth a good laugh or two.

Grinning, Aqua took a deep breath and asked, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?"

Right on cue, as he had answered many times before, the mirror replied, "The water maiden is fair to see, but Snow White is far fairer than thee."

A chuckle escaped the blunette's lips and she shook her head. What else did she expect for an answer? It was true; Snow White was very beautiful and not many could compare to her. Aqua could count on her fingers exactly how many girls could even think to compete with the fair princess, should they ever meet somehow. Feeling extra mischievous right now, Aqua asked another question.

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who does...Terra care for above all?" She winced a little halfway through, once again not sure how to phrase her question this time, but what she came up with worked. She hoped.

The mirror raised a questioning brow at the Keyblade Master and she just shrugged her shoulders and gave him an expectant look. Huffing, the mirror gave his answer, with a slight curling of his lips. It was a puzzling, worrying expression for Aqua to see, but once she heard the mirror's words, she too, was smiling.

"Divided though ye may be, know that stalwart Terra's heart belongs to thee."

- - **Kingdom Hearts** - -

**Author's Note:** Yeah, I know that the mirror doesn't speak in rhyme, but I thought it would be fun to do it this way. :3


	2. With This Kiss: Terra x Aqua

**Disclaimer:** Do not own. Just writing for fun!

- - **Kingdom Hearts** - -

He had to be careful and, most of all, very, very quiet. His quarry laid in the midst of a flowery meadow, resting after a weary day's worth of hardship and trials. Though peaceful in slumber, Terra knew for certain that if Aqua were awake she'd probably lecture him for worrying her and then some. Especially for the mischievous idea he had in mind as he watched from the shadows of the Deep Woods. It was an idea born of watching too many princes rescue their princesses...one he would have pushed aside before, had he not decided to become a bit more assertive in his behaviour.

He had been denied many things before and this one thing, he would not be denied...

Taking his time, Terra tiptoed through the grass, careful not to step on any twigs or pebbles. It was slow going, but Terra was patient enough to know that being quiet would pay off, in the end. The young man was pretty nervous though and failure meant a sound talking to from his friend or a sound beating from her Keyblade, Rainfell.

Aqua really must be tired, if she was dozing off in the middle of nowhere and in a foreign world, to boot. Normally, she was the most reliable of the three trainees under Eraqus back in the Land of Departure, as she was often the one chastising him and Ven for falling asleep outside while stargazing. _The least they could do, was to bring blankets with them_, Terra remembered with a small smile.

Right beside her sleeping form, Terra quietly kneeled down beside the blunette and just looked at her. Her head was slightly to the side, chin practically touching her shoulder; in this position things would be a little difficult and Terra didn't want to risk waking Aqua by moving her. What to do? Terra's resolve began to falter a bit at this point. He frowned at himself, disappointed that he couldn't just do what he had to do, though she was asleep.

_No, I _**can**_ do this. I know I can…just gotta bend over and…_

Leaning over Aqua's form awkwardly, Terra placed his hands at either side of his friend's head. He froze as she seemed to stir from sleep, alarm bells going off in his head, telling him to run the hell away before she discovered him in this compromising position. However, the water maiden simply shifted, turning her head to the right angle. Her face, peaceful and pretty, was in full view.

Terra froze once more, but not out of fear and panic. He took this time to quietly admire Aqua, wondering when it was between leaving their home to visit worlds unknown and now, did she suddenly transform from one of his best friends in the entire world…to a beautiful lady he wanted to kiss.

_Nah, she's always been like that. You're just a blind idiot. And it's not as if you hadn't kissed her before!_

Those times were on the cheek though and only on special occasions like Christmas and or her birthday.

_Details, Terra. You can do this. It's just like any other kiss, but on her lips. If you can't kiss her, you won't be able to master the darkness!_

Random non sequitur about darkness aside, if he couldn't rightfully call himself a Keyblade Master (not that was he, but he would gain that title soon enough) if he could master his own feelings in this one moment and kiss Aqua.

_Oh, for the love of Eraqus…!_

Forcing himself before he lost his nerve, he mashed his lips to Aqua's.

_One…two…three…_

Terra thought her lips to be incredibly soft and warm, but also unresponsive. Now that he thought about it, she hadn't moved an inch, except to shift her body a bit. He could still feel her even breath through her nose and the slow rise and fall of her chest. Intense relief filled him as he lifted himself up from the sleeping maiden, just as worry flowed through him. The Keyblade wielder had half-expected her to wake-up, be enraged that he had stolen a kiss from her and then smack him up for it or blow him up with magic.

But no. Aqua was still asleep, unresponsive to her surroundings. Something was not right here.

While he appreciate not getting his butt handed to him, his crush not waking up from one of his kisses was not only a blow to his male pride, but something to be concerned about. Had she been hit by a spell?

Terra had considered kissing and running, but leaving Aqua in such a vulnerable state where the Unversed could get their grubby hands on her did not sit well with him. At the very least, he should try to rouse her before making a quick getaway, lest she caught him with awkward questions he didn't have answers to. He started by gently shaking her shoulder and calling her name, which yielded no results. He then lightly tapped her cheek, but that got him the same thing. Terra might have considered striking Aqua with his Keyblade, for that always woke him up whenever he was hit by a Sleep spell, but he immediately threw that thought out the window; there was no way he'd _ever_ hurt Aqua.

Then it hit him. An old lesson Master Eraqus had taught him when they were all just beginning their training and the older man warned them the effects of magic and how to get rid of them. Esuna was always effective – it cured any ailments inflicted by an enemy, however, he had no such spell on him. Physical attacks also jarred a person under the power of Sleep back to the world of the waking, but Terra already determined that he would not hurt Aqua, if he could help it. So what else…? Magic or physical strikes were out, so that left…?

Right! Items! The dark-haired man went through the pockets of his pants, frantically searching them for something to cure Sleep. He found the right bottle and cheered. An Elixir! This should do it. Uncorking the bottle, he brought it to Aqua's lips, but stopped before tipping it.

Oh, boy. Another problem. How was he supposed to feed this to Aqua if she was lying down on her back like that. He remembered that forcing someone to drink while lying down was a tricky business and even harder when their lips were closed. Well, he fixed one dilemma easily enough, when he lifted Aqua's body into his arms. But now with his hands full in keeping her steady and holding the bottle, he could quite get her to accept the Elixir.

_The solution is easy enough. She has to open her mouth right…?_

He knew what had to be done and he was sure that the moment Aqua woke up she would not spare him. But it was an emergency, he reasoned. She should understand. And better someone who cared about her than some random stranger, right?

Taking a swig of the Elixir, Terra then pressed his lips to Aqua's and clumsily forced her mouth open so he could feed her the cure.

_One…two…three…_

"Mmmm…?"

Terra heaved a mental sigh of relief, thanking his stars that Aqua was going to be alright. His grip on her tightened and he lingered there for a moment longer than necessary, his lips to hers still. When he pulled away, he could still feel the gentle brush of her long lashes. His blue eyes met her dazed ones; she was confused and bleary, but just fine now and all thoughts of escaping before she found out what just happened had totally left Terra.

_Even sleepy, she's breathtaking._

"Terra?" she whispered, tone unbelieving.

He smiled down at her, still keeping her slowly waking body firmly in his arms. "Aqua."

"Did you…what happened?" she inquired.

"You got hit with a Sleep spell, I think."

"Oh."

A pause.

"You woke me up?"

"I did."

Another pause, followed by a soft, breathy chuckle from the girl in his arms.

"I suppose I should say, 'my hero', right?"

Terra didn't know what to say to that, so he shrugged.

Aqua smiled, then wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "My hero."

Following her, Terra hugged her and said, quietly, "My princess."

They stayed like that for a little while, just quietly enjoying the other's presence and the feeling of comfort that came from just holding one another. Eventually, it was Aqua that broke the silence.

"So…how did you manage to wake me? And where have you been?' came the awkward questions Terra had been dreading. He was very reluctant to answer though, so he stayed silent for some moments longer, before Aqua tugged on him. "_Terra_."

He sucked in a breath. "Well…"

He knew he should have run for it, while he had the chance.

- - **Kingdom Hearts** - -

**Author's Note: **A little OOC here and somewhat AU, since they never did meet on the same worlds except a few times. I had this idea and just had to go with it!


	3. The Date: Zack x Aqua

**Disclaimer:** Do not own. Just writing for fun!

- - **Kingdom Hearts** - -

Somehow, Zack had managed to get Aqua to go on a date with him. Sort of date. And not that he was a bad guy or anything and he had been totally and utterly sweet the entire time they had been out together, but the young Keyblade Master felt incredibly awkward during their impromptu date.

It had started when the leather cord she used for her Wayfinder had snapped. Actually, Zack's sword had snagged onto it while the two sparred and it cut the cord cleanly in two. Needless to say, Aqua had been quite upset about it, though she kept herself from raging and yelling at her friend. It was just an accident and one easily fixed. At least he hadn't destroy the Wayfinder itself.

They had wandered throughout the city of Thebes, trying to find the marketplace where the hero-in-training promised to buy Aqua a new cord or chain for her charm. She refused at first, because she just couldn't accept anything from him, but he insisted – rather relentlessly, too – so she agreed and now here they were in a rather poorer section of the city. The slums had the blue-haired girl worried at first, but once people started greeting Zack in a friendly manner and all the residents gave her a kind, understanding look, she was able to relax. They would be alright here.

"So, which one do you want?" Zack asked, face bright and expectant. Expectant of what exactly, Aqua didn't know, but it was hard to be even remotely angry with him for anything when he was making that happy puppy face. Aqua had this strange urge to mess up his already messed up hair.

Blue eyes left her friend's face and went back to the display of simple chains and cords, wondering what she should do. She couldn't rightly refuse his gift, but then, she didn't feel right accepting anything from him. It was already odd enough with this outing that he insisted on calling a date.

_I suppose he couldn't wait to be a hero_, she thought with a mental chuckle to herself.

"I don't know, Zack. Which one should I choose?" the blunette inquired, suddenly struck by genius. If Zack chose the gift himself, she wouldn't feel as guilty about it…even though he _did_ destroy her Wayfinder's cord.

The young warrior pondered over it, head tilted to the side as he looked over the wares in front of them. He didn't take long and just smiled brightly at Aqua and she felt her stomach drop. Oh, boy.

"Anything's fine with me, Aqua. So don't be shy. Just pick something out."

Sighing softly, Aqua went back to square one. Well, time to bite the proverbial bullet.

"Okay…"

She went for the braided leather cord, which was one of the cheaper ones on sale.

"…This one."

Zack grinned at her. "All right, I'll buy it. I'll be right back." Beaming brightly at her, Zack picked up the fine silver chain _next_ to the leather cord she had pointed out, making Aqua's eyes widen. Before she could correct her friend on his choice, the black-haired foot soldier had dashed off to have the purchase rung up. Once again, a sigh escaped her lips. The Keyblade Master tried to summon up at least a little bit of irritation at Zack's lack of attention, but couldn't.

"Just like a puppy. Eager to please, but low attention span," Aqua mumbled to herself, amused. What was done, was done, so she would graciously accept her friend's gift and to keep it as safe as possible.

When Zack returned the chain in hand, he offered to put it on for her. Embarrassed at first, Aqua agreed to it after they slipped the Wayfinder on. The charm was a bit large, but for Zack's sake, she would wear it proudly for him. Later on, when she finally left this world, she would slip the chain off and keep it somewhere where it wouldn't be snapped accidentally.

For now…

"There. How's that?" Zack inquired, drawing Aqua out of her thoughts.

Aqua blinked, then her mind caught up with what her friend was saying and she immediately felt somewhat flustered, after realizing he was standing really, _really_ close to her. "U-um…you sure you put it on right?" She touched the Wayfinder hanging above her bosom. The charm seemed so heavy and the chain seemed too flimsy and fine – as if ready to break in twain the first minute she breathed. "Will it…stay on like this?"

"It should be fine," Zack replied, now circling the water maiden. He studied her intently, taking on the look of a scholar until he stopped in front of her. He then grinned at her, nodding in approval, boisterous as always. "Yeah, it looks great!"

Blushing at the compliment, she nodded her gratitude, unable to trust herself to speak without sputtering.

Still smiling as brightly as the sun, Zack took Aqua's hand and led her further into Thebes, showing Aqua around and having fun with her. She really did enjoy the sights that Thebes had to offer and was really having a good time with Zack that she lost track of time. By the time they arrived back at Olympus Coliseum, day had turned into evening and their date had to come to an end.

They stood at the gates, hand in hand, both with content expressions. Aqua was going to bid Zack farewell, when she had to stop and stare at him. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed before…

"What is it, Aqua?"

"So pretty," she said, without meaning to. She blushed at her slip up, but Zack just laughed it off.

He pointed to himself. "My face?" he teased.

Aqua snorted. "Your _eyes_," corrected the blunette.

"You like them? Then take a closer look," Zack suggested, moving closer so that their noses almost touched. Both amused and embarrassed at the same time, Aqua pushed the boy away from her, playfully.

"You!" She laughed and then he laughed and they both just laughed up a riot together, somehow finding this whole situation funny. The two of them eventually regained their composure, once again quietly content, but they had to go. Aqua had to go and Zack knew it.

He held her hand again, gently, yet firmly.

"Come back soon," Zack entreated sedately, not at all like his usual energetic self. There was something in his sky blue eyes, but Aqua couldn't figure out what it was.

"I will. When you become a hero, right?" Aqua asked.

Zack nodded. "Yeah. Next time we see each other…I'll be a real hero. And then…I'll take you on a real date!"

Aqua was stunned by his boldness and couldn't manage a single word as Zack ran off, laughing happily. Face red, the blunette shook her head in dismay, wondering just what she got herself into as she called for her Keyblade Glider to take her off-world. Oddly enough, she found herself anticipating their next date as she flew off into the distance.

They were never to meet again in the land of Light.

- - **Kingdom Hearts** - -

**Author's Note:** This is for all the Zack/Crisis Core fans! Some lines were verbatim from Zack and Aerith's date in Crisis Core, while others were changed or left out. And since we all know the fate of Zack and Aqua in their respective games well…This is how I imagined it would go between them.


	4. Persephone: Hades x Aqua

**Disclaimer:** Do not own. Just writing for fun!

- - **Kingdom Hearts** - -

Aqua swore that every male she had met on any other world thus far – excluding the princes – were either intent on dating her or turning her towards the path of Darkness. Or both.

In the case of Hades, she really wanted to go with the 'turning her to the Dark Side' plot, because the idea of the guy kidnapping her and taking her to the Underworld because he wanted a date for Valentine's was a very disturbing idea. The young blunette did have to give the Greek god points for trying though, because she could not remember a time when someone had tried so hard to, well..._please_ her.

After he had managed to snatch her while she was in the middle of training with Zack and Hercules, he carried her as she kicked and screamed down to the Acheron, where they took a nice and creepy boat ride together with a haunting dirge sung by the ferryman, Charon. He was covered entirely in a cloak and the small glimpses that Aqua saw told her that she would be better off not wondering what else was under the tattered old rags of the immortal guide to the Land of the Dead. The ride had been a bit long and during that time Aqua had made sure that Hades knew her displeasure at being kidnapped out of the blue and only Charon quietly telling her that if she kept waving her Keyblade at Hades, she'd rock the boat and they would all be in serious trouble.

Looking into the soul-infested waters of the river, Aqua had quieted down after that, but took to silently fuming as Hades tried to explain that he was on the winning team and that, hey, a cute bluebird like her deserved to be in the arms of a winner, right? That, Aqua thought, should have been her first clue.

Her second clue was when the Ruler of the Underworld decided to take her on a tour of his kingdom, which wasn't all that bad, Aqua noticed. Dreary, yes. Damp, yes. Awful? Not really. The worst sinners ended up in Tartarus, while most of the other souls just wandered aimlessly or stayed in the waters of the strange underground kingdom. All the while, Hades had forcefully kept an arm around hers, leading her around like some show cow.

His grip had been firm, but Aqua had soon learned that he kept her close for her own safety – the Underworld was not a place for the living to wander alone.

Her third clue as to something being up was the Elysion Fields – a slice of Paradise in this hellhole of a place Hades called a kingdom. It was bright and beautiful and so very vibrant. The souls of heroes ended up here, Hades had explained. Aqua was disappointed to see only a few people inhabiting the fields, but surmised that not everyone could be true heroes. After all, a true hero is not measure by his physical strength, but by the strength of his heart.

Hades kept on his schpiel about joining him as Aqua took to quietly admiring the flowers growing in the Fields. To think that such a place existed deep within the Darkness like this; it made Aqua think about her 'kind host' and the possibility that there may be a speck of light in his shrivelled old heart yet.

And now here they were, sitting at opposite ends of a long dining table, with the god arguing with his minions about the quality of the food they had prepared. It was comical really and though Aqua did her best to summon her anger and frustration with Hades, the water maiden could not help the giggles that escaped her lips. This caught the attention of the imps, Pain and Panic, and the subsequent attention of their boss. All three males stared incredulously at the Keyblade Master as she tried to hide her laughter underneath a demure hand. And failed. Miserably.

Her laughter echoing through the chambers of Hade's castle fortress sounded completely at odds with the gothic décor. It did not belong, Aqua thought, but glancing back at the trio who were frozen in the position of strangler and stranglees, she decided it probably wasn't unwelcome.

"Do you always kidnap prospective girlfriends, or am I just special?" she couldn't help, but ask, the entire day so strange that she decided to just go with it. If Hades didn't let her go eventually, she would just fight her way out of the Underworld. It wasn't as if she didn't know her way around, thanks to the guided tour she had been given.

Hades dropped the imps, who scurried away as fast as their legs could go. Suavely, the god ran a hand through his flaming hair, the blue fire staying back for a while before it set itself back to its original form. He strolled over to where Aqua sat and leaned on the table in front of her, a look that was on the edge of flirtatious and creepy on the deity's face.

"For you, babe? I'd move the stars," Hades said, picking up a piece of fruit and offering it to her. "Pomegranate?"

Aqua, knowing better, shook her head. "No thanks, but I appreciate the offer."

"Whatever you say, bluebird. Whatever you say."


	5. The Water Maiden: Terra x Aqua

**Disclaimer:** Do not own. Just writing for fun!

- - **Kingdom Hearts** - -

Sometimes, Eraqus would take Terra out to visit other worlds in order to make use of other terrains that weren't the picturesque world of the Land of Departure. It also helped him brush up on his decorum and etiquette whenever he was presented with people from other cultures, but the boy of seven ended up more culture shocked than not. He still had a long way to go.

Sometimes, Eraqus would bring his apprentice out to the worlds for a nice, well deserved break.

One such place was called Atlantica where the ocean stretched as far as the eye could see. There was a kingdom on land where they stayed for the duration of their little break. Working hard was all well and good, the Keyblade Master had told Terra, but resting and replenishing the soul was also important. Plus, he was young for only a little while, so Eraqus encouraged him to go along and play. The brunet was also cautioned never to reveal his origins, of course, but Terra knew better than to go telling people he was from another world!

This would be the first time Terra had seen a real live ocean up close and personal. He was used to the shallow ponds and gently flowing and falling waters of the Land of Departure, so the boy had not been prepared for the strong tide that pulled him out to see when he went in for a dip. The young trainee had been tossed this way and that in the waters; up was down and down was up. Terra fought against the water holding him prisoner and slowly choking him to death, the air stolen from him bit by bit until his limbs could no longer fight back.

_Don't give up!_

Everything was dimming. He could see nothing. Who was calling him?

_Come on, lets go towards the light!_

Something was pressed into his hand; it was soft and warm and squeezed his fingers reassuringly.

_Don't worry._

And then, all of a sudden, he was being propelled upwards.

His lungs fought for air as he choked and sputtered out sea water, head finally breaking out of the water. His hair was plastered to his face and his mouth tasted like salt and his eyes really stung now that they were exposed to air again. Scared and shaking, he vowed never to let himself be dragged down into the deep like that ever again.

"You alright?" asked a girl's voice – one that was right next to his ear. Terra turned and was treated to the sight of a pretty young girl with blue hair and bright blue eyes the likes he had never seen before. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm okay," he replied, looking around. He noticed that the shore wasn't too far from where they were and suggested they swam back before the waves dragged them both down. The girl seemed to hesitate a bit, but then nodded in agreement. Holding him still, she helped him get back to shallow water, her legs kicking powerfully against the current. Terra was impressed by her strength and wondered how she got so good at swimming.

She smiled. "Oh, I'm a natural born swimmer," she told him, a secret hidden in her words.

The strange blue-haired girl let him swim the rest of the way on his own, after some point, watching as he made it back to land. Terra had never been so happy to see sand that he just fell back into it and made sand angels. His companion – still at least waist deep in water – giggled at his antics. Remembering his manners, the Keyblade trainee sat up on the shore, smiling bashfully at his saviour.

"I'm Terra," he stated with a smile, "what's your name?"

Once again, the girl hesitated a moment or so, before answering.

"...I'm Aqua," came the reluctant reply.

Terra beamed at Aqua. "Thanks for saving me, Aqua!"

Sharing in the warmth of his smile, the blunette beamed right back at him. She nodded. "Any time, Terra."

Before either of them could say anything else, Eraqus' voice called out from beyond a sandy hill, searching for his apprentice. It was time to head in for dinner. Terra had stood up, brushing sand off of himself, to face the direction in which his master had shouted for him. He returned the call with a clear reply of his own, which resonated through the air. The old Keyblade Master soon came rushing down, chastising the boy for worrying when by disappearing into thin air. Terra excused himself by saying that he had gone for a swim and almost drowned, if not for his new friend, Aqua.

"Who?" Eraqus inquired, arms crossed.

"Aqua. She's right behind –" Whirling around, the brunet was surprised to see that the girl who rescued him had vanished, like waves that kissed the shoreline. You knew they had been there, but they were gone before you know it.

Once again, Terra was scolded, this time for lying though he insisted that he had met a girl named Aqua. Eraqus took his hand and firmly pulled his wayward student back towards town, telling him exactly why it was dishonourable to lie to your master and the consequences of such actions. All the while the man lectured him, Terra couldn't help looking over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of blue that didn't belong to the ocean. However, he did not see any sign of Aqua and wondered if his sea-soaked mind had just made her up...

It was a year or so later, that Eraqus brought home a second apprentice, one who looked strikingly familiar.

She looked almost awkward, standing there next to his master, wearing nothing, but rags made from a ripped sail and rope. However, upon seeing him, she smiled brightly and ran over to talk to him, only to trip on her own – bare, he noted – feet. She fell right on top of him and sent the both of them tumbling to the ground. Terra took most of the brunt of their fall, arms holding his new friend carefully.

"Thanks for saving me, Terra," the girl said with an embarrassed blush.

Terra grinned at her. "Any time, Aqua."


	6. I See the Light: Terra x Aqua

**Disclaimer:** Do not own. Just writing for fun!

- - **Kingdom Hearts** - -

Did you know that once all magic was linked to song and rhyme? Those cute little rhymes you'd sometimes mumble together as children were once powerful incantations that could rock the world or lull the sun into sleep. Those clever little twists of words had once been full blown epic poetry that could change the world, now reduced to amusing pass times for kids that they would eventually forget as they grew older. Aqua never forgot, though. Words were powerful in their own right – magical, even. Belief coupled with words were even more powerful, for they created a force called hope.

And hope was all she had in the realm of darkness. She did not know how long she had been wandering the dark wastes that made up this realm, fighting off Heartless that came across her, endlessly moving forward in the hopes of getting somewhere. In her hand, she gripped her precious Wayfinder, face set in determination. In her mind, she kept the memory of her friends fresh, constantly bringing up their smiles in order to keep herself going.

And she'd smile, too, because her friends were linked to her heart and they'd always be connected. Always.

But then, there were times when Aqua wanted to cry, too, because she couldn't see them. One moment of weakness in the darkness. One moment to grieve for everything she had lost. And that was when she'd start the ritual of wishing on her Wayfinder, in order to give herself the strength to continue on her path.

Aqua would stop a moment to rest and hold the star-shaped, sometimes flower-like, charm in both of her hands. She'd imagine something she deeply wished for and wanted and needed above most else. Sometimes, she'd see Ven's grinning face in her mind's eye, others Master Eraqus would invade her thoughts. However, the one who would always, always, always appear would be the one person she wished she could get back.

A tear would slip down her cheek unbidden and she's softly sing, caressing the Wayfinder:

"_Flower gleam and glow,_

_Let your power shine._

_Make the clock reverse_

_Give back what once was mine_."

Today was another one of the endless days where Aqua stopped to rest and to wish. The water maiden would hold her Wayfinder as she always did in her hands, eyes shut closed against the darkness around her. However, unlike any other day, the star-shaped charm began to glow. After wishing an unnumbered amount of times, perhaps her dream would finally be granted. Aqua was surprised to see this happen and was startled when the light began to fade, so she quickly continued the song. Images flashed in her mind –

- the three of them together in the Land of Departure, watching the stars falling together –

- fighting against Terra and winning the Mark of Mastery -

- Ventus telling her she was awful -

- Terra stalking away from her -

- the three of them reuniting once again -

- Ventus asking to be put out of his misery -

- Aqua taking a sleeping Ventus to someplace safe so he could recover undisturbed -

...Terra being flown to safety by her armour and Keyblade as she fell further and further into darkness.

_Terra..._

"_Heal what has been hurt._

_Change the Fate's design._

_Save what has been lost._

_Bring back what once was mine..._"

The Wayfinder became entirely engulfed in light and Aqua watched as it gathered power within itself, sparkling with pure light. It seemed to be waiting for something, so Aqua finished the song.

"..._What once was mine_."

And that was that. The Wayfinder shot a beam of light ahead of the Keyblade Master, forming lines in midair that was long and straight. It looked like a door! It began to slowly open, showing beyond it nothing, but sparkling light. It was such a dazzling sight that Aqua almost cried from joy. Light. Hope. It felt like a fog was lifting – as if she were seeing the sky anew as she walked forward, through the door. She knew that on the other side of this door, she would be where she was meant to be.

So warm, so real, so bright...

"_Aqua_."

She smiled through her tears, holding her Wayfinder close to her heart.

She was home.

- - **Kingdom Hearts** - -

**Author's Note:** Guess what movie I'm addicted to? ;)


End file.
